Shapeshifter - Amokura
To celebrate Epetoma o te reo Māori Kūki 'Āirani - Cook Islands Language Week 2023, - world-renowned live drum & bass group Shapeshifter announce a brand new single ‘Amokura’.
‘Amokura’ is a big electronic, jungle, island drum & bass track, synergizing Shapeshifter's energy and sonic palette with Cook Island's traditional drums.
The single honours the rhythms of the Cook Islands; the pate drums were recorded in Rarotonga by Paora Apera’s (P. Digsss) brother and cousins about five years ago when the Shapeshifter lads became transfixed by the Cook Island rhythms on a trip to Rarotonga. At the time, there wasn’t a plan for the recordings, and they sat in the archives until the idea came up to record a Cook Island Māori song - inspired by The Waiata Anthems movement.
Apera muses, “I’ve been a musician for 35 years, and everything has always been in English, except when we did Waiata Anthems, our first non-English tune. Now we’re returning to my homelands a bit more; it feels amazing.” He continues, “We want to let the next generation know if we can try it, you can too. I hope it inspires young people everywhere.”